Depends. Some agro-PV systems I have seen are 50% transparent. The plants get a sufficient amount of light, and are protected from hail and heavy rain.

I have even seen a prototype where the pillars for the panels incorporate a rail system on which sowing, weeding, and harvesting tools can run electrically in instead of being pulled by a tractor.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 4 months ago (1 children)

PV coverings also trap some ambient heat and regulate the surface temperature better than full exposure, acting like a greenhouse that encourages plant growth.

Folks so set on zero sum systems that they ignore synergies.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Most of the growth in solar has been market driven. It's why Texas has a lot of solar despite them subsidizing oil and gas. It's free, plentiful energy that hits the ground almost every day. If you have boatloads of land that's not ideal for farming, yet not too hot for much of the year, it makes economic sense.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

If the U S didn't subsidize corn for ethanol it might make even more sense to build solar instead of grow corn. And then you could grow other crops under the solar panels.